Explosive charge for ordnance.



' UNITEDTSTATES PATENT OFFICE 3 HUDSON MAXIM, F HOPATCONG, NEW JERSEY ASSIGNOR TO E. I. DU PONT DE NEMOURS POWDER COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

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To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, HUDSON MAXIM, of the borough of Hopatcon'g, countyof Sussex, State of New Jersey, have invented a new 5 and useful Improvement in Explosive Charges for Ordnance, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification. f The present invention relates to improvements in gunpowder-charges, particularly for heavy ordnance.

' The object of the invention is to provide a gunpowder charge which'shall at once serve to secure the best ballistic results, that is to sav the highest velocity of the projectile, with-the lowest pressure, obviate flareba-ck, and minimize the erosive action'ofthe gases uponthe bor'eofthe gun. In carrying out the invention I employ, in conjunction with the self-combustible or explosive smokeless gunpowder material or charge, another or independent and noncombustible or non-explosive .01 only partially combustible or partially explosive, and preferably smokeless material or materials or charge, adapted to be volatili'zed or decomposed into gaseous constituents 'orpro'duct-s by heat absorbed from the products of combustion of the explosive smokeless powder charger Many different substances may be employedto advantage as the main ingredient or ingredients of the cooling: or non-explosive material, and itwill not be necessary for me to name them all here. Suflice it tomention a few of them, and those which I esteem particularly adapted to the purpose. I have found carbonate of ammonia to be a material well suited as a heat absorbing a cut. Y I have also found acid carbonate. 0 ammonia an ingredient well suited to the purpose; or- I may employ oxalic acid, which serves the purpose admirably; or nitrate of sodium, nitrate of potassium, nitrate of barium, nitrate of ammonia, or other nitrate or oxidizing salt may be used. Also sulfate of ammonia is admirably adapted as a. cooling. agentor in gredient of my non-explosive gunpowder.

"I prepare my. non-e losive. material or ingredient in" granular one or the form of strips, bars, or pellets,--called grams in the smokeless powder art, or in any suitable shape that may he desired, ill-11110? same'or similar manner andshapesthat ordinary smokeless gunpowder is my Specification of Letters Patent. Applieation'flled February 14; 1998.. Serial No. 415,961.

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Patented Jan. 30,1912.

' non-explosive grains may be so made as to be consumed, decomposed or volatilized with either an acceleratingor decreasing rate as may be desired; And the grains may be made so that they may be completely decomposed with the complete combustion of the explosive smokeless gunpowder charge,

or so that they will be completely decomposed a little later, and after the complete consumption of the explosive charge; or in advance of the complete consumption of the explosive charge, all as may be desired according to circumstances. I may make the cooling grains entirely of a heat absorbing material, or materials. such as sulfate of ammonia or oxalic acid, by subjecting the material to high compression in moldsof' suitable form, but in order to facilitate manufacture and to improve the characterand strength of the grains, I preferably employ an adhesive material or agglutinating agent to render the grains more cohesive and The cooling material in the form above described may be intermingled with the explosive or may constitute a sepa:

'rate charge to be associated with the ex plosive charge. l

I have found that a small percentage of sulfur used in its allotropic, amorphous and plastic state serves very Well as an agglutinating agent for some materials, or I may use glue 'or starch, sugar, glucose, or a gum or resin or hydrocarbon, such as parafiin or other hydro-carbon, as an agglutinating agent, especially when oxalic acid is employed gredient. \Vhen, however, employing a substance'or material as a heat-absorbing agent or ingredient which does not attack'or tend to decompose pyroxylin or nitroglycerin, I preferably employ as an agglutinating as a heat-absorbing agent or inagent pyroxylin, either alone or in combina tion with nitroglycerin. When pyroxylin alone is emplo ed, it is dissolved or gelatinated with eit er a volatile or non-volatile solvent; and when with a volatile solvent such as acetone, the solvent is evaporated from the grains before use. I have found a very good agglutinating compound to consist o a mixture of forty parts by weight of 'tri-nitro-cellulose and ten parts byweightof gelatin Intro-cellulose, and'fifty parts by weight ofnitroglycerin. From five to ten per cent. of the total weightof thesins of such an 'agglutinat-ing agent is su cient to 11p \z-gunpowder charge with,which it is embind or agglutinate the particles of the grains and give-to the grainstheproper strength or cohesive property. I may,--how ever, and sometimes do employ a much larger percentage of such 'aggl-utinating agent, An agglutinating agent consisting of pyroxylin or a compound'of pyro'xylin and nitroglycerin possesses the ,adyantage that the combustion of the agglutinating'agent' facilitatesand increases the rapidity of the decomposition of the cooling agent ora'gents' or ingredients with which it is c omb1n'ed, or'

for which it is used asa binder; A Althougha certain amount of heat is necf essagrily evolved. by the burning of "the" binder, still, when a. small or moderate percentage of suchbinder is employed, as, for example ,.,from five to twenty-five per" cent, the-total heat evolved. by the combustion of the hinder or agglutinating agent is far less than is requiredfor the complete decomposition of the cooling agent (gr/agents with which it-is combined to gasify the cooling .agent and in the necessaryexpansion of the gases, so that such a compound. still serves verylargely as a cooling material for lowering-theitemperature of the products of com bustion of 7 the regular. explosive smokeless ployed.-- .While I preferably employ 'such limited quantity of an explosive material as an .agglutinating agent as will evolve le'ss heat than will be absorbed by the cooling agents agglutinated byit while the projectile is being thrown from the still I may employ, and sometimes (ii employ still larger percentages of an explosive 1 material asa abinder,.such asthat named. For'ex c ample,:-I may employ as the explosive smokeless powder charge .acomposition con: sisting of from thirtyto fifty per cent. nitro glycerin and from fiftyto seventy per .cent. pyroxylin, and in conjunction with such expl-osive. charge, I may employ as much' as be required, a blende'd prgraded charge,

consisting of.a highly or more highly e'xplosive or combustible smokeless powder charge, .'in conjunction with two or 'more mixed charges of explosive and heat-absorblng materials. each varying in its degree of esplosiveness or combustible qualities and in -the degree of its heat-absorb ng properties.

ForQexample, I may employ as a p ruon-of the complete charge a compound consisting :of fifty percent.wnitroglycerin and fifty per cent pyroxylin, and another portion consistingof twenty-five per cent. nitroglycerin and seventy-five per cent. pyroxylin,'ai1d an other portion consisting of pure nitro-cellu-t lose, and another portion consisting of a cooling ingredient 0r. ingredients ,aggluti-P nated with anywhere from tenper cent. to' twenty-five percent. explosive material, and

another portion of the charge consisting of] 5 a cooling ingredient. or ingredients either a'gglutinatedxwitha non-explosive material v or without any agglutinating agent.

' What is claimed is l. A charge.- for guns consisting of of "explosive-4. material commingled with.

grains of heat-absorbing me fil a r-Q sive'ly decomposable by, the heatof eombu s-f tion time explosive material and at subbustionf' of the latter. a

posable- I by the heat -ort= combustion. of the, explosive. material and-at substantially the, same rate as the rate of +eombustien of the,

latter.

grains-formed ofa- Bean-absorbing material and anexplosive agglutinating agent, said, heat-absorbing material being progressively,

decomposable- By the heatof explosion at.

the explosive materialiand at-substantially. the same rate as therateofi combustion oi: the latter: y

f1. A chargefor guns consisting-oi? grains of smokeless powder and grains of: a heat absorbing material progressively decdmposable by the heat of combustion of the smoke less powder and at substantially the same rate as the rate of combustion of the latter.' 5. A'charge for guns consistin of smokeless powder commingled with a heat-absorbing material, said powder and heat-absorbin' material each existing as distinct'ankl in e'pendentbodies having rates of combustion and decomposition" substantially the same.

6. In "a =harge 'for'ordnance, a cooling ingredient "decomposable by :heat and" an explosiveagglutinathigagent, the heat irequiredto decompose theIeooling ingrediept being greater than theheat'ofcombustion of the explosive.

'7. 'chargdfor'ofdnanoe consisting gt a plurality ofggunpowdersdf difierent rates of stan-tiailly the-same'irateas therate oficom;

A' charge for- 'gu-nsconsistingofigrains, of explosive material comm'mgledj: with.

2. 'A charge for guns consisting of grains with combustion, and anon-explosive eoolingma- 8. A charge for ordnance containing an explosive and a cooling material decomposable by heat, said cooling material consisting of sulfateof ammonia and a combustible agglutinating agent said cooling agent and explosive having rates of decomposition and combustion substantially the. same.

9. A charge for ordnance containing an explosive and a coolin material decompos able byheat, said coo mg material consisting of sulfate of ammonia and an agglutinat-ing agent said cooling agent and explosive having rates of decomposition and combustion substantially the same.

10. A charge for ordnance comprising an explosive material and a non-explosive cooling'material, said cooling material in the form ofgrains containing an ingredient decomposable by the heat developed by'explosion of said first-named material, said v explosive and cooling agent having rates of combustion and decomposition substantially the same. I

11. A charge for ordnance comprising an explosive material and a non-explosive coola ing material, the latter in the form of grains containing a non-explosive ingredient and an explosive 'agglutinating' material, said grains being decomposable by the heat developed by explosion of the explosive in said charge and having arate of decomposition substantially the same as that of the combustion of said explosive.

12. A charge for ordnance comprising an explosive charge consisting of a plurality of gunpowders of different rates'of combustion and a non-explosive cooling charge in the form of grains containing an ingredient decomposable by the heat developed by explosion of said gunpowders and having a rate of decomposition substantially that of said blended explosive.

13. A powder charge for ordnance, consisting of two or more gunpowders of different rates of combustion, and a non-explosive cooling charge, rdecomposable by the heat of the products of com gunpowders and having a rate of decom osition substantially that of said blen ed explosive.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two. sub- HUDSON MAXIM.

scribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

T. CAMERON, I -W. B,

ustion of said 

